The Box
by ABrien
Summary: Mac is trapped and soon going to run out of air. Its up to the team to save him this time.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, I feel like this one won't turn out as great as it is in my head, but I'm hoping it won't be too bad lol. Hope you like it.**

**Its before episode 11 of season two, where Mac has just gone through the whole losing Zoe thing. So its kinda a tag to War Room + Ship. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Macgyver or any of the characters**

* * *

Chapter 1

This was it. It was finally happening. Mac was currently unable to 'macgyver' himself out of this situation. He didn't think it would happen, his grandfather had always said to him how nothing was actually as impossible as it seemed, not if you put your mind to it.

Except he had been through every solution he possibly could and each one was a dead end. Granted his brain wasn't working as a hundred percent as it normally was considering his condition but now it was entirely up to his friends to rescue him... he just hoped it was soon.

* * *

**That morning**

It was 6:30am on a Saturday and Mac had been running for about an hour now. He hadn't been able to sleep and he knew the best way to get out of his own head, to compartmentalise, was to run. As he ran flashbacks of Zoe dying in front of him played in his head. It replayed over and over again and as his pace quickened the flashbacks hit him harder.

Eventually, his body took over and his legs stopped, he leaned his hands on his knees and caught his breath as sweat dripped off him. He checked his watch and planned to make it back home by at least 8 so Bozer didn't know he hadn't slept all night. That way he can avoid the constant cooking to make him feel better and he won't call Jack to go all mother hen on him.

Mac reached home at around quarter to 8. He put on some coffee in the pot, turned it on and went for a shower.

Once he was out and pouring himself some hot coffee he got a bad feeling in his gut.

"Bozer" he called walking towards his room.

He knew on a normal day Bozer wouldn't wake up before at least 9 but something felt off here. He knocked on the door and nothing. Bozer was an extremely light sleeper; he knew this from when he came back from Afghanistan and Bozer was there in an instant when he had a nightmare.

He opened the door and froze, there was blood everywhere he wanted to take a step forward to check if there was a pulse on the limp body of his best friend, his brother but he couldn't. He was stuck staring at Bozer eyes open lying in a pool of blood.

Suddenly Jack's voice broke the silence. Mac jumped and turned around "Jack!"

Jack stared at him "you did this you know. You got him all tangled into your life and now look."

"I'm sorry. I didn't want it. I was meant to protect him. I should have saved him" Mac rambled

"Yeah like you were supposed to save Zoe, but you couldn't, as usual."

"Jack please" Mac felt himself suffocating in the words jack spoke, he couldn't breathe and felt his world fall apart.

Suddenly reality hit him and he gasped out loud. Blinking several times he realised he wasn't actually at home. He couldn't tell if it was a dream or not, was Bozer okay? Where was he? The questions were now drowning him.

He closed his eyes knowing the panic wasn't helping. He focused on his breathing, evening it out.

_Okay now think clearly_. He said to himself. He opened his eyes and looked around. It was terrifyingly dark and small.

He was in some kind of wooden crate or something. He then noticed his lack of clothing; he was simply in boxer shorts and covered in sweat, most likely from his nightmare because it was freezing. He felt the dull pain in his left thigh where he assumes he was injected with something, which was probably why his head was throbbing. He lent his head back down and took another deep breath hoping he could figure this one out but before he knew it he pulled back into the blackness.

* * *

**Phoenix foundation**

**Think tank somewhere in LA**

Jack and Bozer made their way out of the labs, where Mac was supposed to meet them, towards the war room due to a text from Matty. They were deep in conversation about a robot apocalypse where once again Jack was trying to convince Bozer how they would take over the world and no one was safe.

"Jack that's just crazy" Bozer said opening the door.

Just as Jack opened his mouth Matty's stern voice cut him off "took you guys long enough"

Riley laughed as Jack huffed and looked at her and then it dawned on him he didn't see Mac's smug face in the corner bending paperclips. He frowned maybe Matty let her off after the last few days.

"Where's Mac?" he said eyeing Matty who was at the screen

"That's what this is about" she said sighing and turning around.

Hearing this was about Mac tingled Jack's spidey senses and he moved forward waiting for Matty to continue. Matty tapped something on the screen and turned back to them waiting for them to watch the video.

It was a man dragging a green back, and clearly there was someone in it. He opened it up and Jack literally felt the tight knot in the pit of his stomach getting tighter and tighter.

"Matty what is this?" he asked breaking the silence. Matty didn't answer and let the video carry on. The man grabbed Mac pulled his clothes off and stuffed them back in the bag. He then carelessly kicked the limp body into the already dug up hole in the ground. There was a loud thud and the man looked right into the camera as he jumped into the hole and grabbed a large wooden piece and drilled it shut. He then got out and shoveled the dirt above it.

As the digging carried on Matty turned back to them and Jack took a seat on the armrest of the single sofa with his head resting in his palms and his face red with anger and fear.

Bozer looked petrified and Riley was typing stuff "I can't do it. Whoever he is he covered up his tracks really really well." she said breaking the silence.

"He was wearing what he wears to run in that video. Which means he didn't make it back home after his run." Bozer said

"I'll try and follow where he could have been taken" Riley answered typing as fast as was humanly possible

"Jack" Matty said walking towards him

"When did you get this?" he asked looking at her

"It was left on a phone in a gift box on my desk this morning."

"Can I get to the phone" Riley said looking up

"Yeah. I mean Jill already went through it, but I'll have forensics bring it down for you" Riley nodded and got back to her work.

"How long before he suffocates? Matty we need to find him. Now" Jack said standing up

"And we will Jack. But we won't waste any time running after dead ends." she said trying to push her worry and emotions down and take control.

"Mac was seen running back towards home at around 7:30 according to a traffic light he passed. But I checked the next ones and he was gone. So between these two locations he was taken" she said as a location circle came up on the large screen.

"I'm gonna try and find other cameras around from shops and restaurants so we can see if I can find him."

"Riley you have to hurry please" Jack pleaded

"Jack I'm going as fast as I can"

"I know, I know" he muttered walking around

"Can you locate his phone? Matty do we have any potential suspects? Are we doing everything we can"? Bozer rambled.

"I assure you Bozer phoenix's top priority is looking for Mac" Matty replied

"His phone's been wiped completely. I can't even place his last location with it" Riley answered.

Just then Riley stood up with excitement "got it."

Balancing her laptop on her waist she pressed a button to get it up on the larger screen. They all once again looked as Mac was the subject of the video playing. He was running clearly sweaty when out of nowhere he got knocked of course by the guy in the previous video. The man was wearing all black including a hat low down enough to cover his face to a point where Riley couldn't run facial recognition. Mac was able to throw a punch in making Jack proud for only a second before he saw Mac slowly lower to the floor as the man had jabbed a needle into his leg. Mac struggled for about two seconds longer before his body gave out and he went limp.

"Wait go back" Bozer said standing up. Riley began rewinding the video "there" he said stopping her moving to the screen. He pointed at the man's arm "look at the mark on his wrist" he turned to Jack and realisation hit him. "Aaron"

It was about three months ago where Matty had sent them on a mission in Peru. It was the normal stop the bad guy save the world thing they did every time. And as per usual their plan went of course wand they were left improvising. Phoenix had found intel on a large amount of chemical bombs being taken to a warehouse in Lima, Peru. It belonged to a gang led by a man named Aaron, also the son of the vice president of Peru. Aaron wasn't so thrilled that his father chose politics over his family and made this gang his family instead. The gang all had a marking, although instead of getting a basic tattoo they all had a sign burned into their inner wrist. Aaron had allegedly killed his step mother and was currently planing on placing bombs at the next press release his father would be attending. Jack and Mac had been sent there to stop this. They were able to arrest almost three quarters of the gang after Mac found a way to stop them, but Aaron got away. Clearly he's keen on his revenge.

* * *

**Sorry it's a bit short, but hopefully it gets better than this over the next few chapters...**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mac woke back up with an even bigger headache than before. His head was so heavy and he could feel the lack of oxygen in the box now. He made sure he tried to conserve as much as he could to give them time to find him. He triple checked all corners of the box for anything, even a loose screw or something sharp. He kicked the box in frustration and other than dust on his face it did nothing.

This was it. It was finally happening. Mac was currently unable to 'macgyver' himself out of this situation. He didn't think it would happen, his grandfather had always taught him how nothing was actually as impossible as it seemed. Not if you put your mind to it. Except he had been through every solution he possibly could and each one was a dead end. Granted his brain wasn't working as hundred percent as it normally was considering is condition but now it was entirely up to his friends to rescue him... he just hoped it was soon.

He sighed as dizziness and a wave of nausea hit him. He closed his eyes for only a second and an image of Bozer dead flashed in his eyes forcing him to open them. He really couldn't tell if that was a dream or not. Although all of this did really feel like a bad nightmare, he couldn't rule it out. The last thing he remembered was leaving the house for a run in the morning. Then it all gets a bit fuzzy.

Closing his eyes he sighed '_what happened? You left the house then what Mac_? _Think'_ he thought to himself. Suddenly images of him catching his breath from running too fast caught up to him. Then suddenly he got an image of being hit in the jaw.

_Who was it though? Had to be someone after Mac or Phoenix. Murdoc?. No Murdoc would make this some kind of sick game_.

As sick as it sounds this is too easy for him. Then it him the flashback of him getting taken. He remembered feeling the pain in his thigh as he struggled but now he was stuck in the memory. The man was looking right at him. _Who was he? I know him_. Breathing became even more difficult.

_Now is not the time for a panic attack Mac_. He kept breathing deeply struggling to get the air in and out normally. Then he saw the marking - it was the Peruvian gang leader from last month. Mac sighed and leant his head back dizziness suddenly taking over his vision with a wave of nausea. He needed to get out. He needed to stop Aaron before he hurt anyone else in the team. _What if he really did kill Bozer?_

* * *

Riley had found Aaron's last whereabouts and sent Jack the co-ordinates. Jack assembled a TAC team and they were breaking down the door to the house he had taken over.

As they broke in they saw the couple who used to live there unconscious and tied up. Aaron tried to make a run for it through the back door but jack wasn't having it. He caught up to him and tackled him down. He wasn't expecting Aaron to have a knife though and felt a sharp pain in his arm. Groaning, he head butted Aaron unconscious and rolled off of him.

"Jack you okay?" Riley asked through comms.

"Yeah" he said grunting as he picked up Aaron's limp body and dragged him inside. He tied Aaron down and threw a glass of water on his face to wake him up.

"Where is he?" jack demanded. Aaron simply laughed in response.

"Listen here, don't think I wouldn't gladly kill you right here right now." he said looking straight into Aaron's eyes "Tell me where he is. Now" he demanded.

Aaron smiled "you can't kill me. Who'll tell you where your little friend is then?" Jack didn't even hesitate as he hit him with the end of the gun.

Aaron's lifted his head back up after spitting the blood out his mouth and laughed. Jack looked at him as if he was crazy and punched him cutting his lip "Do I look like I'm joking. You will tell me where he is or so help you god"

"It's too late now. I mean he's probably already panicked himself out of oxygen. He's dead. He got what he deserved" Before Jack knew it he pointed the gun at Aaron's knee and pulled the trigger.

The scream he let out was deafening "Jack!" Matty warned

Aaron breathed heavily and tears rolled down his cheeks. Jack then cocked the gun and pointed it at his forehead "what the hell is wrong with you man" Aaron spat

"What the hell is wrong with me? With me? You buried my best friend, my brother, alive and you're asking me what's wrong with me? Since he's dead, according to you, we don't need you anymore do we" Jack shouted back pressing the gun harder into his head. Aaron gulped

"Jack. Jack you need to calm down" Jack pulled the ear piece out and threw it stepping on it.

Aaron realised Jack had gone didn't care at this point and his fear of death hit him

"Okay. Okay." he spoke up.

Jack looked at him and waited. Aaron nodded. Jack lowered the gun and Aaron let out a breath "Speak. Where is he?" Jack ordered.

"He's in the field down the road from where he was running. It's just a little into the woods and pretty obvious where" Aaron said letting his head fall in disappointment.

Jack put his gun in the back of his pants and pulled out his phone as he ran to his car outside. "Matty -"

"Jack you ever do that again, I will kill you myself. Did it work though?"

"Of course it did. Can you get Riley to send me the location of the park near where Mac was taken"

"There's two in the area" Riley replied

"Well I can't get to both there isn't enough time" Jack said slamming his fist on the steering wheel of his car. _If he wasn't already dead. _Jack thought angrily

"It's okay I matched the parks to the images of the video he sent us and I've sent you the co-ordinates" Riley said

"I've sent agents to start digging and ambulances to the location already. You need to get your arm checked too. Go get our boy jack" Matty said as she hung up.

* * *

Mac knew the oxygen had now run out enough now. He didn't want to panic knowing it would make it worse but his breaths automatically came out short and rapid as his lungs searched for the oxygen they so desperately craved.

His hand flew to his chest to try and slow it down but he couldn't he could feel himself suffocating. Images of how it felt when El Noche's forced nitrogen on him flashed in his head as the same heaviness his him in his chest again. His thoughts were fuzzy and he could barely complete what he was thinking but he imagined how Zoe felt when he let her die and then went back to question Bozer Jack and Riley's safety.

Then his vision was swarmed with spots he tried to blink away. He felt himself shivering but also the layer of sweat was still there. _I'm going into shock_. He thought to himself.

His eyes began to droop and he tried to think of everything he loved about physics something to keep him awake. Jack. He thought about how if Jack was there he'd be telling Mac to use his big brain to think of something or how it was all Mac's fault they were in this situation in the first place. Jack would then panic and start telling him a story of how he's dreamt of this before and that never turns out well. He smiled remembering Jack, before a coughing fit hit him and he gasped before his head fell backwards and blackness took over him once again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, sorry I took long in updating. I thought I'd be able to upload a chapter everyday but stuff just kept piling up you know. Anyways, thank you for the reviews, I'm glad you guys liked it, surprised, but glad lool. Hope you enjoy the rest...**

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Chapter 3

Jack reached the park within 20 minutes and saw the lights of the ambulances at the end of the field and ran towards them. He got there and Riley, Bozer and two other agents were digging at one spot. They had already dug quite a lot and hadn't found anything. Jack grabbed a shovel and started digging too working twice as hard as everyone

"Maybe he lied" Bozer said out loud what everyone was thinking

"No, no, he couldn't have he's here." Jack said not taking a break

"Jack your hurt. You're not helping anyone acting like this. Just get checked out. We've got this" Bozer tried to reason with him but there was no way Jack was gonna get some cut on his arm checked out while his best friend was suffocating right there.

Riley hated seeing him like this. She had realised how close Jack was to Mac from their first mission together and since then there wasn't once where Jack ever let something happen to him. And when he did he felt guilt for days. If Mac was gone it would destroy him. Losing him would be hard on everyone he was like everyone's know-it-all sibling and they all loved him like family, even the thought of losing him gave Riley a sharp pain in her chest. Riley's thoughts came to a halt when she realised she had a tear running down her cheeks. She wiped them off and carried on shovelling.

It had already been 10 minutes since Jack had showed up and they still had nothing "Maybe we should dig somewhere else" another agent suggested

"Maybe you should shut up before I hurt you" Jack responded angrily. He could tell from the first time Bozer questioned the location of Mac that everyone had slowed down. But he wasn't going to give up he couldn't. Suddenly there was a loud bang and everyone looked at each other.

"That's it I got him" Jack shouted. "Everyone dig."

Jack dropped the shovel and jumped down into the hole and started moving the leftover dirt with his hands. He reached the corners of the box and tried to pull the lid off. "It's not budging" he grunted. Jack could feel the sleeve of his shirt sticking to his arm because of the blood, but with all the adrenaline and worry he could barely feel the pain.

Bozer gave him his shovel back and jumped in with him. They placed it as a lever under the lid "on three" Bozer said. "one...two...three" together they pushed down and the lid creaked and before they knew it the top popped off.

"Mac!" Jack shouted. He saw Mac his body was pale and his skin clammy, his lips were slightly parted and a light shade of blueish purple. His one hand at his side and the other laying on his chest. Jack placed two fingers gently on Mac's neck and waited. Any second now. And then he finally felt it, it was barely even a slow and thready beat against his fingers but it was better than no beat at all.

There were two paramedics already next to Jack. They placed an oxygen mask over his face and then a neck brace around him. Other than his obvious shoulder injury they ruled out any serious spinal injuries.

They then rolled him on his side slipping a yellow stretcher bellow him and once on it they strapped him in. There was another pair of paramedics waiting right above them for when they got Mac out. "We're going to lift him up, close the box and step on the lid and then lift Mac above your head and hand him off okay" it was more a statement then a question but everyone nodded.

Jack moved to the top and Bozer to the bottom of the box. They each lifted Mac high enough for the paramedics to pull the lid back down and shut the box. Jack and Bozer then stood on the box lifting the stretcher above them and moving it as horizontal as they could and passed it to the two paramedics on opposing sides. They grabbed both ends and quickly moved Mac to the stretcher waiting and began talking about his blood pressure and heart rate as they put in an IV in his hand.

Jack and Bozer had jumped out the hole and joined Riley in standing by the paramedics watching as they treated Mac. There were three paramedics working on him and the fourth had been told by Matty to check on Jack but Jack only gave him one look and the man stood back. One of the paramedics then calmly ordered that they now move out.

Jack stepped forward "I'm coming with."

Matty interrupted "You can go in the second ambulance and get your arm checked out on the way"

"No I'm going with Mac, Matty. Not up for discussion"

Matty knew arguing with him would be pointless right now so she simply nodded. The paramedics nodded and began rolling the gurney towards the ambulance and then suddenly there was a monotone beeping sound and the gurney stopped, making everyone behind them stop too.

"We're losing him" the paramedic at Mac's head shouted. Jack took a step forward but Riley simply held onto his hand and he looked at her confused. it was like he wasn't processing what was happening.

They stopped the stretched and as one grabbed the defibrillator bag from the ambulance the other two had started CPR. once the portable defib bag was there they placed it on Mac's bare chest and the paramedic shouted "charge to 250" as she turned the knob and then said "clear" the compressions stopped and they all heard the charge go and Mac's body flew up and hit back on the gurney.

The paramedic holding the nebuliser at Mac's face shook his head after checking for a pulse. Riley turned her face into Bozer's shoulder not wanting to see this anymore and he held onto her in disbelief of what was happening.

"Again. Charge to 300" she shouted, repeating the process. "Clear" again the charge sounded and Mac's limp body once again fell onto the gurney.

"Mac" Bozer whispered.

* * *

**I wasn't going to the predictable cliffhanger thing. But I just had to :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Last chapter. Thanks for the reviews. And I hope you like it...**

* * *

Chapter 4

Mac lay lifeless on the gurney "Mac" Jack was screaming but he couldn't feel himself shouting. It was like someone else was shouting beside him. He's never felt so numb. The paramedics had stopped resuscitating

"Why are you stopping? DONT STOP! SAVE HIM DAMMIT, SAVE HIM" Bozer held onto Jacks good arm and Jack fell to the ground. "Save him. Someone has to save him. I need him back"

"Jack" Riley's voice hit him and he looked up

"Please Riley" he pleaded

"Jack" suddenly the black spots flooded his vision and his surroundings hit him.

He gasped and sat up "whoa Jack calm down" that was Bozer's voice.

Jack's eyes were still closed. Riley's hand was on his chest "Jack breathe. It was only a dream" he opened his eyes and stared at her.

He was in a hospital bed. Still in his clothes, but he had a bandage round his arm and an IV in his hand. "Where is he?" Jack made a move to remove the IV

"Touch that and I'll fire you" Matty's stern voice threatened as she walked in.

Jack looked at her for a moment longer and she knew he didn't even have to question if it was worth losing his job to get out.

"Matty" Jack's voice broke Riley's heart "Jack Mac's fine" hearing that almost had Jack sobbing and it was clearly obvious as Matty moved closer.

She laid her hand on his leg "You passed out when they were resuscitating him. But they got him back. They patched you up on the way here"

"What about Mac? Is he okay?" Jack questioned not really caring about how he got here and more about how his friend was doing.

"Of course he is. It's Mac" Bozer answered, clearly trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

Riley nodded "they said it was touch and go, but he's stable now" she said repeating what Matty had told them

"And?" Jack asked knowing that can't have been it. Just then a doctor walked in "Dr Kim" Matty greeted. The doctor nodded in response and turned to Jack "Mr. Dalton I see your awake"

"How's Mac?" Bozer interrupted. Everyone turned to him expecting Jack to ask first. Bozer simply shrugged

"He's currently stable. It was touch and go for a moment though" She explained saying exactly what Riley had just said.

"But?" Jack asked sceptically.

Dr. Kim smiled; she'd dealt with overprotective family members before and knew that somehow they were in almost as much pain as the actual patients.

"But he was deprived of oxygen for a long period of time. It caused brain hypoxia. Brain hypoxia can vary from temporary memory loss to seizure and comas if too serious. We have done a scan as precaution and currently there's no sign that it's serious enough to cause a coma but it all depends on him being ready to wake up physically and mentally." She looked up and everyone just stared at her in silence so she carried on "Besides that he was revived twice which leaves the chance of him being prone to cardiac arrest and so his EKG machine will be monitored closely. The fall caused some bruising on his right side and ribs, a mild concussion and a slight fracture to his shoulder so he'll be in a sling for up to four weeks" Jack sighed and had this hopeless look on his face "but he's young and healthy and I expect a fully recovery from him" she finished encouragingly to comfort them

"I'm just worried about how we're gonna convince him to stay in a sling for four weeks" Bozer laughed trying to break the tension

"Can I see him" Jack asked

"He isn't awake right now. So I'd prefer you finish your IV and then I'll have a nurse come and take you to him." She suggested

"Yeah that's what you're gonna do Jack. It's an order" Matty added strictly.

"I'll go give him company don't worry" Bozer said putting a hand on Jack's shoulder making him grunt "ooo my bad. Riley let's go" Bozer said stepping back slowly and leaving.

Dr. Kim waited for the door to shut "You had to get stitches on that cut and I'd like you to minimise its use for a while. It wasn't deep enough to hit anything major but it was deep." with that she smiled and Matty thanked her as she left.

Matty and Jack sat in silence for some times before Matty finally sighed and pulled up a chair. Sitting down she stared at his guilt and concern-ridden expression "Jack it's Mac, he'll be okay"

Jack looked up at her and then back down "Matty his face. His face when I opened the box I can't get it out my head. He looked dead. I'm supposed to protect him. It's more than a job I can't lose him."

"I know it's more than a job Jack. And I also know that this was in no way your fault. No one could have seen Aaron's attack coming." Jack just shrugged. She knew he was right, she always was. There wasn't anything he or anyone could have done to stop it. But he just wished it didn't happen at all. Matty placed her hand on his free hand and they sat there in silence.

* * *

**THAT NIGHT**

Mac sat their laughing as he put another mouthful of rocky road ice cream in his mouth.

"They suspended me for two weeks for that" Zoe laughed.

"If I had a penny for every time I got suspended for blowing something up at school" he responded with a chuckle. "Well I'm glad I'm not the only nerd out there willing to do crazy things with science."

Mac stared at Zoe "What?" she asked with a smile

"Nothing-" he started "nothing sorry. Something just feels off."

Zoe opened her mouth to answer but dropped her spoon and put a hand on her chest "Mac I can't breathe" she choked out.

Water sprayed out of her mouth and Mac stood up and reached for her but he couldn't move "ZOE!" he screamed.

Flashbacks raided his thoughts all at once "No, not again. Zoe" he shouted. Zoe kept on choking on water and fell to the ground.

"Mac, help me" she cried "I can't Zoe I can't move." There was this loud beeping sound in his ear "Zoe?" it got louder and louder and his head pounded. The image of Zoe in front of him began to fade away

"Zoe! Zoe" suddenly there was these loud voices right next to him "Mac?" that's Jack

"Jack" Mac tried but he couldn't get the word out

"Come on Mac. Wake up" Mac closed his eyes and focused all his energy on following Jack's voice and before he knew it he saw the white ceiling above him and felt his surroundings change slowly. He saw Bozer passed out on the chair on his right and Jack above him saying something but he couldn't quite figure it out.

"Lost her" he heard himself saying it. It didn't sound like his voice but he knew it came out of his lips. He stared at Mac seeing his lips moving but there was this ringing in his ears and he couldn't hear him.

He saw the door open and Riley walk in with someone else but before he knew it his vision was flooded with spots and he let the blackness take over once again.

* * *

"Jack, the doctor said him waking up last night was a good sign" Riley said her hand on his shoulder "you can at least take a nap or eat something" she finished.

He looked up at her "What if he wakes up. I have to be here when he wakes up"

"Fine I'll go get the coffee" Bozer sighed standing up

"You guys can go home and freshen up" Jack suggested

"No we're all her for Mac" Bozer smiled "and you" Riley finished as Bozer left

Jack smiled at her and looked back at Mac just in time to see him stir. "Mac?" he asked hopeful once again.

Mac's eyes flickered open and stared around for a moment confused but once he looked at Jack he breathed out in relief knowing he was safe. "Hey buddy" Jack smiled.

Mac opened his mouth in an attempt to speak but nothing came out. Riley grabbed the glass of water beside her and passed it to him. Mac went to move his right hand and groaned pulling his arm back. He looked down to see the sling on his arm. Jack grabbed the glass and put it Mac's lips giving him a sip.

Mac took a moment and then smiled as best he could "Hey" he croaked out.

Jack and Riley laughed. "So what'd i miss?" he asked after a moment

"What do you remember?" Jack asked in response

"I remember standing on the porch with Matty after losing Zoe" Mac had tried to say it in a way nonchalant way but Jack knew he was still hurting. "And then it's a bit fuzzy, I know I was running at one point" there were small flashes in Mac's mind but not enough to piece everything together.

He was playing with the tape around his IV, making Jack smack his hand away "Well that was Thursday bud. Remember our gang friend Aaron?" Jack asked. Mac nodded "well he wasn't too happy with us ruining his plans and he came after you."

Mac had a flash image of being trapped in that box for a second and he remembered the pain in his chest. He closed his eyes and felt Riley's hand on top of his.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Mac said noticing the bandage on Jack's arm.

Jack nodded "Yeah but nothing serious don't worry" Jack smiled.

Bozer then walked in "MAC!" he shouted excitedly putting the coffees down on the closest table and hugging Mac as best he could without hurting him.

"Don't ever do that again" Bozer said stepping back "you have no idea how scary Jack can get when you're in trouble" Mac grinned

"Who'd he beat up?" Mac asked looking at Jack

"He almost put a bullet in Aaron's head" Riley answered

"Oh was did he do the whole pull out the comms pretend to go rogue act to scare him" Mac said familiar with Jacks tactics "you guys are crazy" Bozer said laughing.

It was now night and Dr. Kim had come in checked out Mac and said he can be released tomorrow morning on the basis that he's on bed rest for at least three days. But off work until his arm is completely healed.

Jack promised to make sure Mac did nothing which meant he was in mother hen mode now. They spent the day listening to Bozer rehash the stories of Mac and him when they were younger and blowing things up.

Eventually a nurse came in and told them that Mac should be getting to sleep soon. Riley and Bozer hugged Mac and then left. Jack and Mac sat in silence for a moment before Jack sighed "swear kid worrying about you will be the death of me" Mac smiled

"You should go home and rest" he suggested

"I'm never taking my eyes of you" Jack responded

Mac rolled his eyes "Jack you don't have to stay"

"I don't have to but i want to. I want to talk to you anyways" Jack answered

"Oh no" Mac smiled

"No it's not anything bad" Jack started "I just wanna say first off I'm sorry"

"Jack this wasn't your fault"

"I'm supposed to protect you Mac. It's literally my job. But not that, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you lost Zoe. I know that hit you hard and I just got so caught up in that Elwood drama -" Mac interrupted him "Jack you don't have to explain yourself. It happens. We lose civilians sometimes. It's fine"

"Mac you don't have to do that. Riley told me how you got to know her. Made plans and everything." Mac closed his eyes remembering wanting to go get rocky road with her.

"You don't have to pretend it didn't hurt you. I just want you to know that there was absolutely nothing you could have done" Mac's face went a light shade of red and his eyes glassy

"Jack what if I could have done something. You know how you feel guilty for what Aaron did to me because it's your job to protect me. It was my job to get them out of there alive. And I didn't"

"Mac, buddy, you did whatever you could have. And I know for a fact if you were in her exact situation you would do exactly what she did." Mac nodded scrubbing the tear rolling down his cheeks with the back of his good hand.

Jack placed his hand on his shoulder "I know it's weird because I barely even knew her, but Jack there was this instant spark speaking to her, you know. You'd have liked her she had a good sense of humour too." Jack smiled sitting down

"Why don't you get some sleep kid" he said seeing Mac's eyes barely open "not a kid" he replied his eyes closing. Jack smiled and sat back down

"Jack"

"Yeah bud"

"Thanks"

"Always brother. Always."

* * *

**That it guys. Until next time...**


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